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-   -   7 weeks at the gym and no changes... pizza anyone? (https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/exercise/43958-7-weeks-gym-no-changes-pizza-anyone.html)

joank 07-24-2004 12:15 AM

7 weeks at the gym and no changes... pizza anyone?
 
Well, I made up my mind over Memorial Day weekend that I was going to lose weight and get into shape. I spent a small fortune on a gym and told myself that I was going to work out at least 4 times a week. To my surprise, I started going 5 or 6 times a week, spent at least 45 doing cardio (usually the eliptical) and 3 times a week doing weight training. I started to eat right and cut out snacking. So I figured by now, I would see a change when I got on the scale. Nope. Then I thought, "muscle weighs more than fat" and firgured that eventually, my clothes wouldn't be as snug. Nope. I still weigh the same as I did before Memorial Day and my clothes are still as snug. I am so frustrated and tired of being defeated. I am ready to order a pizza! What am I doing wrong? Any clues or advice?
I just keep telling myself, "at least I am putting in the effort" but, come on! Give this girl a break! :dizzy:

nelie 07-24-2004 12:31 AM

I know it can be frustrating to have something like that happen but not knowing your situation, it may be something that either could need some self evaluation, medical advice or exercise advice.

If you don't do it already, you could track your food and evaluate if what you are eating is really what you think you are eating. Sometimes you can eat too little or too much without even realizing it. Another thing you could do is take a visit to the doctor and explain your concern and your situation. Unfortunately, not all doctors are sensitive to how hard it can be to lose weight especially if your body is fighting you on it. The last thing you could do is talk to a personal trainer and get advice on how to exercise efficiently and effectively.

teapotdynamo 07-24-2004 02:51 AM

Pardon the posting time -- I have major insomnia! It's really hot, and we don't have an air conditioner in here yet.

I second what nelie said, particularly about the food. I am going through something very similar. I joined the gym about 3 months ago, and have lost a little bit of weight -- about 13 pounds -- but it's definitely not just "falling off" like I imagined.

Based on my personal experience (and having read many of these threads now), I am going to guess that the issue is with your calorie intake, unless there's a something medical going on. When I started, I wasn't losing at all, but I wasn't making any nutritional changes. Once I started watching my food intake much more carefully -- voila -- results. I have been somewhat frustrated/discouraged to learn that the gym seems to be only ~30% responsible for whether I lose weight or not... everything else is what I put in my mouth.

Although it can be a pain to track calories, I would definitely suggest using FitDay (www.fitday.com). It's free, and even if you use it only for a few days, it helps to see how much food really "costs" in terms of calories. I know I was shocked -- things like cream in coffee and sugary iced tea really add up! I think before I thought of them as "freebies" as they weren't really "food."

Give it a shot and see what you think. In the meantime, are there any positive results other than what you see on the scale that you've achieved from going to the gym? I know the *shape* of my body has changed a bit based on the new muscle. I'm a HECK of a lot healthier, too. The first day I started, I could do the elliptical for only 6 minutes, and now I can go for 45, and my heart rate has gone wayyyy down.

Also - a trainer gave me a "freebie tip" and mentioned that I mix up what I do for cardio. He mentioned I should try the stairmaster, so I added that for 5 minutes at first, now 10. It did help to "bump up" my results a little bit.

If you do these things and still feel like you're not losing weight, I would definitely suggest going to the doctor. There may be insulin issues or something else that could effect what your optimal diet may be.

Hope this helps! Feel free to PM me if you want to talk. I KNOW this is a frustrating process!!!

Jennifer

lessofsarahtolove 07-24-2004 02:40 PM

Joan, I would agree with both of the above posts. It sounds like you're really working hard to get the results you want, and I know it can be frustrating when you can't see that hard work reflected on the scale. You should, however, be seeing some difference in how your clothes are fitting by now, given the amount of exercise you're doing. Jennifer makes a great suggestion in recommending FitDay -- it's really important that you get a complete and accurate picture of your caloric intake before jumping to any conclusions. They say that diet is 80% of the battle, exercise the remaining 20.

By the way, Jennifer, I've been reading your posts with interest. Congrat's on your progress! You're a welcome addition to 3FC! Have you checked out the 100lb forum yet? There's an enormous amount of support to be found there. Hey, where in NY are you? I was raised in Chelsea.

joank 07-24-2004 09:43 PM

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I started a food journal a few days ago to keep track of what I eat. Hopefully, I will be able to see some physical changes soon. As for other changes, I do feel a lot better getting myself to the gym. I am able to run for a few minutes without thinking I am going to die and i am able to stay on the elliptical for about 45 minutes to an hour. So, yes, my health is definitely benefiting from the workouts.
Congratulations to you all on your progress!
Thanks again!
joan

lessofsarahtolove 07-25-2004 12:03 AM

Joan, it's great that you're staying positive about it, and that you haven't thrown in the towel. The progress you've made in terms of overall fitness is huge!! I'm glad that you've started to journal the food -- hate to keep shoving FitDay down your throat ;) -- but it really is a great tool and a lot of folks find it easier and more manageable than manually journalling. I actually use some great software that I purchased for $50 or so after trying it out for free for 2 weeks, and I've found it SO helpful throughout my process. I have a longer road than you, but I'd recommend it to anyone -- regardless of their journey, as it gives so much information and tracks so many aspects of nutrition and exercise. But before getting it, I used FitDay, and I got some real eye-openers when it came to some caloric and fat counts -- and I'd thought myself pretty food-savvy before then. (Ignorance was not the cause of my weight gain, let's just put it that way! ;) )

Stay in touch, and let us know how things progress for you! You really are on the right track, and it would be to hear more good news from you. :)

joank 07-25-2004 12:45 AM

Hi Sarah
I did it... i checked out fitday and did a bit of research on it and i downloaded the program onto my computer. I am hoping this will help me figure things out. Thanks again for encouraging me. I am getting excited!
I will keep you posted on how things are going.
joan

lessofsarahtolove 07-25-2004 01:03 AM

Woo hoo, Joan! :high: You go, grabbing the bull by the horns! You'll have to let me know how you like it -- my software is called Diet Power, which is misleading, because it's not just for dieters. I loved FitDay when I used it,though......it's awesome that you are just setting yourself up for success like this! You go, girl! :)

teapotdynamo 07-25-2004 06:27 PM

In my earlier message, joank, I forgot to say the best part - congrats on all the changes you're making. I know it's hard (boy, do I know!), but just think how much healthier we will all be when (not if!) we follow through with all these changes!!!

Sarah, thanks so much for the kind words! I'm finding this forum to be a lot of help so far (it helps keep me honest and keeps me going on days when I feel like scrapping it all!). And what a small world -- I lived in Chelsea for the first two years I lived in NYC, before moving across town to the Gramercy/Murray Hill area! Where do you live now?

One last word about the exercise/food weight loss split. The one caveat I do have to the 80/20 equation is that I have found that my *overall* level of exercise (not just what I do in the gym) makes a big difference in whether I lose, gain, or stay the same. On the weekends, for instance, when I'm much more *generally* active, walking around the city, going dancing, etc., I find I can eat a little more and still lose weight than on weekdays when I sit at my largely sedentary job after working out at the gym in the morning. That's why I'd skew the activity a little higher. This is not to suggest we should all eat like crap and watch the pounds float away (wouldn't it be nice...) but only to point out the importance of being more active whenever possible, not just for "gym hour."

All that said, can I just tell you how much I'm going to party when I can fit into my first clothes from a "regular" store? I will be the STYLE QUEEN, I vow to you!

Great to meet you guys. Thanks for all the support!

KAR73 07-25-2004 09:43 PM

Hi Joan, Sarah and Jennifer,
Sounds like you are all doing a wonderful job at excerising and watching what you eat. Keep up the good work! I know that when I started my weight loss journey, I felt like you too, Joan. The first few weeks are always the difficult ones. But it sounds like you are on the right track now. How much water do you intake during the day? I noticed that when I really got serious about losing weight, I started to drink more water. I try to drink about 12 to 16 8oz. glasses of water a day. Once I started to do that and cut out the pop and sweet drinks, I started to lose a little more weight. So that might be a suggestion that will help you too. I am glad that you are starting to feel more healthier. Have you tried to measure yourself to see if you have lost any inches? That might be something to give you a little more encouragement. I hope I have been of some help to you Joan.
I belong to a weight loss support group called TOPS. You might what to see if there is one in your area. The support I have gotten from my TOPS has encouraged me and kept me going. It is $20. a year to join and my clubs monthy dues are $2.50. So that is also an option you might what to look into.
Kerry

HW:270
SW:229.25 4-1-03
CW:207 7-20-04
GW:125-130

joank 07-26-2004 12:39 AM

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Sunday.
Kerry- I did measure myself but not until recently. I don't know if i actually lost any inches since the beginning of my workout until now. i do drink a lot of water. I would say at least 64 oz a day.

For anyone that is using the Fit Day program, how do you log in things like using the elliptical machine for an hour? i didn't see that as one of the options.

I had to come to a revelation the other day. I need to be healthy for me. I think I just wanted my mom to stop nagging me about my weight so I wanted to lose weight for her. But, I know that I has to be all about me. I keep hearing her say to me, "The reason you are not married is because you are fat". Oh good grief. As much as I love my mother, her words are so painful to me at times. What is it with women and their mothers??? I think as soon as i was able to tell myself that it wasn't what she wanted for me but what I wanted for me, I was able to make a deeper commitment to this.
It's funny... i have great group of girlfriends that I share so much with and tho they say they understand, i don't think they really do. But, i find great comfort posting this to a handful of 'strangers'. thank you for letting me share. :smug:
I hope you will have a wonderful start of the work week. Ugh. Mondays.... :p
joan

teapotdynamo 07-26-2004 06:18 AM

Joank-

Don't have much time to write because I'm headed out the door for a business trip, but I did want to give you a quick FitDay tip. I couldn't find the elliptical cross-trainer, either (and it's my fave!!!), so I use as a proxy the "Rowing, stationary, 200 W, very vigorous effort." I found that the calorie count is almost precisely the same as my gym's elliptical trainers.

Hope this helps!

Jen

KAR73 07-26-2004 03:03 PM

Hi Joan, Jen and Sarah,
Atleast now that you have measured yourself, you will have a starting point to use the next time you measure yourself. I measure myself once a month.
That is great that you have come to terms with the real reason you want to lose weight. I know for a few years, my mom would nag me about losing weight. I was only half hearted at the attempt. Then after I met my dh and his three little ones, I knew that I had to do something for myself to be healthier and around to enjoy the kids growing up years. So I can whole heartly relate to what you are saying.
Have a great day!
Kerry

joank 07-27-2004 09:31 AM

Hello hello
Well, i had to dump my fitday program from my computer. The program kept making my computer crash. Has anyone else using fitday experienced this? I'll just stick to the online version.
Hope you have a great day!
joan

lessofsarahtolove 07-27-2004 05:23 PM

Joan, I'm sorry that happened to you! Oof! I would recommend looking into Diet Power; I use it and found it to be markedly superior to Fit Day. It allows you to customize food items, recipes, and exercises, and you can not only set different kinds of goals (including weight loss, macronutrients, water, and more) but it tracks your metabolism based on what you've eaten, weigh, how tall you are, the exercise you've done, and your age. It tells you when you're deficient in some nutrient, and then provides not only general sources of that nutrient but also names foods that you've eaten that are good sources as well. It does lots and lots and lots of stuff. I love it and have recommended it to others who have loved it as well.

The first two weeks are free; after that it cost like 40 or 50 bucks. I found it worth it, because I've used it. I also journal there and use it's calendar to set goals for myself.

But Fit Day is good too! And it's free!


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